By Abigael T. Sidi
This Friday and Saturday, the sunset will align perfectly with Manhattan’s street grid, a phenomenon known as Manhattanhenge.
The event occurs only twice a year for two-day periods: one in May, and one in July.
If you missed the first Manhattanhenge this year, you’re just in time to catch the second.
At 8:20 p.m. on Friday, and 8:22 p.m. on Saturday, Manhattanhenge will be visible for the final times in 2025. On Friday, a full sun will be seen on the horizon, and on Saturday, you’ll see a half sun.
The best spots to view the spectacle are on the widest east-west streets, including 14th, 23rd, 34th, 42nd, and 57th. On the Upper West Side, find a spot as far east as possible that still has views of New Jersey across the Hudson River.
Unfortunately, weather conditions are looking shaky for Friday, with mixed intervals of clouds and sunshine expected. But clearer skies are predicted for Saturday.
Manhattanhenge was named by Neil deGrasse Tyson, the noted astrophysicist and director of the Hayden Planetarium, in 1997 after a visit to Stonehenge, which is perfectly aligned with the sunrise on the summer solstice, signaling the change of season.
Anyone wishing to learn more about Manhattanhenge can do so at the LeFrak Theater of the American Museum of Natural History this Friday at 7 p.m., when astronomer and associate curator in the Department of Astrophysics Jackie Faherty will be giving a 3D presentation on the scientific and historical importance of Manhattanhenge.
After the presentation, guests will be invited to continue outside to see Manhattanhenge in real-time. This viewing will be accompanied by a performance from the Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra.
“Perhaps my favorite [memory] is the very first public program I did on the event way back in 2009,” Dr. Faherty told West Side Rag. “I walked out and the whole group followed to see it together. When the Sun hit the horizon, a man dropped to a knee and proposed to his girlfriend. The audience (and many others who joined us on the street) applauded and cheered.”
To attend the AMNH event, tickets must be purchased on their website. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $15 for members.
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70th Street seems to be a popular spot to view Manhattanhenge.
Ah yes, Manhattanhenge … The ultimate tribal experience where hundreds of worshippers turn their backs on a fascinating natural phenomenon and hold their cell phones high in the air. Not unlike “viewing” La Gioconda in Paris.